Red Poison
by Ghostwriter
Summary: When Zordon makes Tommy the new leader, it leaves Jason feeling hurt and betrayed.
1. Chapter 1

RED POISON

DISCLAIMER/AUTHOR'S NOTE

Inspired by "The Coins" written by KSuzie who has given me permission to use the concept. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban, Fox Kids, and Disney. Takes place after "Two For One".

As Zedd's latest monster disintegrated into dust, the Red Ranger's eyes clouded from underneath the helmet. Yeah, it was great to have his bro back, but why had he been demoted? Hadn't Zordon said that he was a fine leader? So what had changed his mind? Seconds later, they demorphed and returned to the Command Center to catch their breaths.

"Tommy man, you were morphinominal!" Zack raved. Billy, Trini, and Kimberly made similar statements.

"Yeah, man. It was simply awesome," Jason added. _I can't believe this. They're all acting as if he was always the leader. Do they think I wouldn't have been able to do it?_ he wondered, Tommy shot him a grateful smile, seemingly unaware of his discontent. However, it became clear that this wasn't the case when he pulled his friend away from the group and into a corner of the Command Center away from the others.

"What was that all about?" Kimberly wondered.

"I don't know," Trini answered as she and the others shrugged.

"What's up?" Jason asked.

"That's what **I** want to know," Tommy responded. "Is everything okay between us? I mean, ever since I got back, it just feels like things have been different," Tommy continued. Jason inwardly sighed. "Is-is it something **I** did?"

"Tommy-"

"Is this about me being the leader? Because Jase, I swear, I had no idea-"

"I know. I don't blame you."

"So, what's going on?" Jason looked at Tommy whose chocolate eyes stared at him worriedly.

"It's nothing. I'm just tired, Bro. The fight took a lot out of me," he finally said. Tommy could've smacked himself. Of **course** Jason was feeling spacey! He had taken a hit to the head and the chest.

"Aw, man! I totally forgot!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm fine," his friend assured, realizing what the other boy was talking about. He flashed a smile, and then they rejoined their friends and then teleported back to Angel Grove. As the other Rangers chattered, Jason's eyes clouded as he once again tried to figure out why he had been regulated to second in command. Up on the moon, Zedd cackled in delight.

"How delightful! The Red Ranger is jealous of his returning companion!" he celebrated.

"If we take control of his jealousy, it could destroy the Rangers," Goldar added.

"Precisely!" Zedd stated.

"Hey, let's go the Ernie's. I feel like a smoothie," Kimberly said.

"Funny. You don't look like one," Zack joked. Kimberly shot him a mock glare as the others laughed.

"Hey, Jase! You comin'?" Trini questioned.

"No, I've got some stuff to do at home. I'll catch you guys later," Jason responded.

"Okay," they said. "Bye."

"See ya." With that, the friends parted ways. Jason sighed and continued on his way. Unnoticed by anyone on Earth, a vortex suddenly appeared.

"What in the galaxy?" Zedd asked in confusion. **He** hadn't opened anything up. _What's going on down there?_ he wondered. However, he made no attempts to assault the portal. Jason walked along the park, when suddenly, he felt himself being pulled upward.

"WHOA!" When he landed again, he was surprised to find himself in Angel Grove. However, there was one little change: it was now early morning.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER

Inspired by "The Coins" written by KSuzie who has given me permission to use the concept. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban, Fox Kids, and Disney. Takes place after "Two For One". Reference to "Putty On The Brain". This will alternate between the two realities which may get confusing, but I'll try to keep it as clear as possible. To distinguish between the two Reds while morphed, alternate Jason will be called Dark Red Ranger.

Jason looked around in confusion.

"I don't get it. How did I end up back here?" he wondered. Then, checking his watch, he realized that it was now a quarter to eight in the morning. _Oh, shoot!_ _I must've somehow fast-forwarded through the whole day!_ He thought. He quickly ran to his home, grabbed his things, and then headed for school. _I might as well play along until I know exactly what's going on here_, he thought to himself. Reaching the hallways, he was relieved to see Zack and Billy by their usual lockers.

"Hey, guys," he greeted. To his surprise, they immediately got into defensive stances. "Guys?" he asked in confusion. Then, _Oh, man! I must've been transported back to when Zedd placed a spell on their glasses_, he thought.

"Guys, it's me," he told them.

"What do you want, Jason?" Zack questioned. Jason's head recoiled at the harsh tone.

"What's wrong with you guys?" he wondered. Suddenly, he was shoved from behind and pinned to the locker. _What's going on here?_ he wondered.

"What do you want Jason? Or has Zedd sent you to play games again?" he heard Trini growl.

"Trini? What are you talking about?" Jason asked in surprise. He was whirled around and he stared in confusion and hurt as his friends glared at him.

"Don't think you can fool us. We know that Zedd must've sent you," Trini growled again. _They've turned on me! What the heck kind of spell is this?_ Jason wondered. Suddenly, there was a six-tone beep.

"Zack here. What's up?" the boy asked.

"Rangers, sensors indicate that the Jason you see before you is not the Jason of this world. Report to the Command Center immediately," Zordon instructed as Tommy came up. Immediately, they all whisked away in flashes of light.

"What's going on here?" Jason wondered.

"What do you mean that this isn't our Jason? How can there be two Jasons?" Kimberly added.

"Seriously. One renegade is bad enough," Zack added.

"Hey!" Jason protested.

"Zack, chill," Tommy commanded at the same time. Then, "How did you get here?"

"I think I got pulled through a vortex of some sort," Jason replied.

"But, Zordon, how?" Kimberly asked.

"We've been sent to alternate dimensions. It stands to reason that traveling through realities would be possible too," Billy commented.

"Wow. I actually understood that," Kimberly joked. Everyone laughed.

"So…what exactly's going on here? I mean, from the way you all acted…"

"Are you the leader in your world?" Trini asked.

"I **was**. But Tommy was made the leader when he came back as the White Ranger," Jason answered.

"That happened here too," Zack confirmed.

"Only our Jason didn't take it so well," Tommy added, his eyes clouding. "He turned on us. Made a deal with Zedd." The pain in his eyes spoke volumes and Jason's heart went out for this world's version of his 'Bro'.

"What kind of deal?"

"If he destroyed me, Zedd would see to it that he was once again leader of the Rangers."

"But that's bogus! Zedd's probably planning on destroying him too!"

"I know, but…" Kimberly's voice trailed off.

"What?" Jason questioned.

"It's like-he's **totally** changed. He's not the same guy we knew anymore. And this time, there's no spell we can break to get him back," Kimberly answered, her voice breaking. Again, Jason's heart lurched. Kimberly was like a sister to him and to hear pain in his voice because of him-**any** version of him-killed him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. Just then, the monster alarm blared. They turned to the globe to see a horde of Putties being led by the one-time Red Ranger attacking the downtown district. However, instead of the usual bright red color, the suit was now dark-the color of blood-with gray lines adorning the sides.

"Oh, great. Guess who's back," Zack said sarcastically.

"Zordon, if he still has his Power Coin, will I still be able to morph?" Jason queried.

"And if so, would it cause him to overload?" Tommy interjected. Even if this wasn't the same guy he used to call 'Bro', he didn't want anything happening to him.

"Since he has his own Coin, he should be able to morph without any harm to himself," Zordon assured.

"All right, then-" Tommy began. "It's morphin' time! Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!"  
"Tyrannosaurus!" Immediately, the six Rangers were in the streets. The Dark Red Ranger felt his gaze narrowing under the visor. So…they had replaced him again, had they? _Wonder how they managed it without my Coin_, he thought to himself. Well, no matter. He'd show this poser what the Red Ranger was **supposed** to be like. With a battle cry, he pulled out the sword Zedd had given him and charged at the new Ranger, who quickly grabbed his Power Sword and quickly blocked the attack. This incensed the Dark Ranger and he attacked again, only to once again be blocked. Their fighting continued through the streets. _What on Earth? It's like I'm fighting myself_, he thought. Then, _So __**that**__'__**s**__ what they did. They cloned me. Foolish!_ With another growl, he lunged at the imposter. _Gotta-gotta keep him away from Tommy_, the Red Ranger thought to himself. However, the Dark Ranger blasted him with the side, knocking him aside, and headed for the White Ranger.

"Tommy, behind you!" At the Pink Ranger's warning, the White Ranger whirled around.

"You stole **everything**!" the Dark Ranger accused, taking out his Blade Blaster and firing it. The Rangers fell to the ground with a collective cry. Then, he fired lasers from his helmet, resulting in another cry.

"Jase, why?" the White Ranger wondered.

"The Power Rangers were doing just fine before you showed up!" Recovering from his own blast, the Red Ranger tackled the Dark Ranger, who merely twisted in his grasp.

"You really think making a clone of me is going to help?" he sneered, and kicked the Red Ranger away. He headed for the White Ranger, only to have the Pink Ranger shoot an arrow at him and the Blue Ranger added to the assault by throwing his Power Lance. However, the weapons merely bounced off of his suit. He laughed evilly.

"What?" the Rangers gasped.

"They've never deflected before," the Yellow Ranger commented.

"Rangers, report to the Command Center immediately," Zordon ordered. The Rangers did so.

"That was weird. He was a lot stronger this time," Trini commented.

"Yeah, it was like he was totally charged up," Kimberly added.

"It is as I feared, Rangers," Zordon said.

"What are you talking about, Zordon?" Tommy wondered

"Ai-yi-y-yi-yi-yi-yi! We ran scans on Jason-not you, ours-and have determined that he's been infused with some of Zedd's own energy!" Jason shared a worried look with Tommy. _I don't like the sound of that_, he thought to himself.

"That doesn't sound good," Trini commented softly.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! It's not! In fact, it's terrible!" Alpha exclaimed.

"What does this mean, Zordon?" Tommy wondered, interrupting the robot's rambling.

"By infusing him with his own energy, Zedd has made our Jason his heir."


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Inspired by "The Coins" written by KSuzie who has given me permission to use the concept. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. Takes place after "Two For One". Bold is telepathic speak.

"His heir?" the Rangers chorused.

"Oh, man. Not good," Jason said. He and the other Rangers stared at each other. What were they going to do?

* * *

Meanwhile, in his own reality, Jason's friends had realized that he was missing and were in the middle of a frantic search.

"Zordon, where could he be?" Kimberly wondered.

"Yeah, and how could he have just disappeared?" Tommy wondered.

"I am uncertain, Rangers. However, it is imperative that we find him before Zedd realizes that we are missing a member of our team," Zordon replied. The Rangers nodded. Their mentor was right. If he found out about Jason's disappearance, Zedd would most likely use the knowledge to his own advantage.

"Where do we even begin?" Zack wondered.

"With Zedd's other dimensions. From there, we can try other galaxies," Billy answered.

"Billy, do it," Tommy ordered. They had to find Jason. _Aw, man. Where is he? Has Zedd done something to him?_ he wondered, running his fingers through his hair. What would Zedd want with Jason? On the moon, Zedd frowned.

"There is a disturbance in the Morphing Grid," he stated.

"What do you mean, Master?" Goldar wondered.

"I can no longer sense the Red Ranger," Zedd stated.

"Perhaps he has been destroyed," Goldar suggested.

"Or is at least deeply injured. At any rate, I must not let this opportunity pass me by. I will create a monster to finish off the rest of the Power Brats," Zedd answered. He perused the Earth until he found something of interest: a photo of a venomous snake. One zap from his staff turned it into a monster, teleporting it to the park. The alarm blared.

"What's going on?" Kimberly wondered.

"Zedd has just created a monster from a photograph of a cobra," Zordon answered.

"It's morphing time!" Tommy shouted. "Tigerzord!" he yelled.

"Mastodon!" Zack called.

"Pterodactyl!" Kimberly hailed.

"Triceratops!" Billy summoned.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Trini finished. They landed in the park and immediately attacked the monster. The cobra hissed and charged them.

"Guys, be careful! Cobras are venomous!" the Blue Ranger warned. The cobra shot out darts from its tips, knocking the Rangers to the ground.

"Man, that dude packs a punch," the White Ranger groaned. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah." The Rangers climbed to their feet, pulled out their weapons, jumped through the air, and then struck at the monster. The cobra grabbed the Black Ranger by wrapping one of his arms around the Ranger and began to squeeze. The Black Ranger groaned in surprise.

"ZACK!" The other Rangers tried to approach, but were knocked back.

"Shoot it!" the Black Ranger shouted. The Pink Ranger armed her Power Bow.

"Can you do it without hitting Zack?" the White Ranger questioned.

"Not a problem," the Pink Ranger answered. She fired, hitting the monster and the Black Ranger dropped to the ground and the others ran to him.

"Are you all right?" the Pink Ranger queried, kneeling next to him.

"Oh, man. I feel really weak," the Black Ranger moaned.

"Come on, let's get him back to the Command Center," the White Ranger said. They disappeared in flashes of light.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! Zack!" Alpha exclaimed worriedly.

"I'm all right. Really weak," Zack told them.

"Zordon, have you found Jason?" Tommy wondered.

"Unfortunately not. We have scanned different dimensions as well as other galaxies with no luck. However, our search revealed a vortex that appeared suddenly, and pulled Jason in," Zordon answered. The Rangers looked at each other anxiously.

"A vortex. What kind of vortex?" Kimberly questioned.

"Where did this vortex send him?" Trini added.

"I am uncertain, Rangers. But have no fear, we shall find him," Zordon assured them.

* * *

In the other reality, the Rangers looked at each other.

"So, if your Jason is Zedd's new heir, what happens to the Tyrannosaurus powers?" Jason asked.

"We must strip the powers from him and find someone else to take his place," Zordon answered.

"Zordon, who?" Kimberly wondered.

"For now, that is unknown. Alpha and I will have to search for one that is worthy," Zordon answered.

"What do we do in the meantime?" Zack questioned.

"And how do we get Jason back to his own reality?" Trini asked.

"Again, that is uncertain," Zordon responded. The Rangers looked at each other. "For now, I would advise you to return to school and go about your day as normally as possible."

"Right," the others agreed. They teleported out and headed for their classes, Jason sticking close to the others since he wasn't sure of his schedule in this reality.

"It's cool, man. You and I have all the same classes," Tommy assured.

"Oh," Jason said in surprise. _That's convenient_, he thought. Almost as if he had read his mind, Tommy smiled sadly.

"We planned it that way…before he turned," he explained.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he said softly. They headed for their next class, and were almost there when they bumped into a boy, causing him to drop his things.

"Aw, man! I'm sorry," Tommy apologized as he and Jason knelt down to help him.

"Hey, no problem, man. It's cool," the boy answered. Once everything had been picked up, they stood up.

"I'm Jason, this is Tommy," Jason introduced the two boys.

"I'm Rocky. As you could probably tell, it's my first day, and I have no idea where Miss Appleby's English class is," the boy said.

"You're in luck. That's our class," Tommy told him. The trio headed for the class. _Man, am I glad I bumped into these two_, Rocky thought to himself. He had been hopelessly lost. Angel Grove High was a lot bigger than Stone Canyon High. Throughout the day, Rocky stuck close to Jason, Tommy, and the other Rangers. At the end of the day, they all convened in the park.

"So you just moved here?" Trini questioned.

"Yeah. Dad got a job transfer and here we are," Rocky answered. "I have to admit, I'm a little nervous. Angel Grove High is a lot bigger than Stone Canyon."

"Well, you don't have to worry because we're gonna stick by you," Kimberly responded. In the Command Center, Alpha pressed a button and within seconds, the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin was lying on a console. The loss of his coin didn't go unnoticed by the Dark Ranger who had been holding the coin in his hand.

"Huh? What?" he asked. "NO!" _It's __**mine**__! They can't take it from me!_ he thought to himself. Alpha pointed a ray gun at the coin and began extracting energy from it. The Dark Ranger groaned. His powers. They were being taken away. He could feel it. _NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!_ he thought to himself. Almost immediately, Zedd's voice appeared in his head. **Do you really care for the power when you were so easily replaced?** he queried.

**But how can I take my team back without my powers?** the Dark Ranger wondered.

**Don't worry about a thing. You know I'll take care of you and make sure you regain your rightful place among your friends**, Zedd assured his Dark Ranger. The boy's eyes darkened and his eyes shone in a mixture of black and red. Lord Zedd was right. All he had to do was wait things out and the Power Rangers would be his once again. Zedd let out a booming laugh.

"YES! I LOVE IT! With the former Red Ranger infused with my essence and heir to my throne, the Earth will be mine for the taking!" He perused the Earth to see Rocky and the others talking.

"Ah, so the Rangers have made a new friend, have they? Well, I'll just send down some Putties to welcome him to the neighborhood."

"Man, you guys have been great and-" Rocky's comment trailed off when he saw the Putties. "Hey, what are those things?"

"Putties!" The seven teens spread out and began battling the creatures. In the Command Center, Alpha had finished drawing the Tyrannosaurus Power from the Dark Ranger.

"Is it done?"

"Yes. Fortunately, he was holding the coin, leaving residue that allowed us to take the powers away from him." The alarm blared and the robot turned to see the Rangers and a civilian fighting the Putty.

"Who's that?"

"Run a scan on the civilian. The information could prove to be useful." Alpha did as he was told. Rocky ducked as a Putty went to punch him. Two of the creatures grabbed him and pinned him to a tree, allowing a third Putty to punch him in the stomach. He groaned and doubled up. He went to kick it with his right let, but it blocked the attack and began to twist the appendage in the wrong direction, causing the boy to cry out in pain. With a karate yell, Jason jumped through the air, and knocked it away. Rocky broke free and resumed fighting. Minutes later, the creatures had been dismantled and disappeared.

"Whoa. What a welcome," Rocky griped as he sat on a table.

"You all right?" Jason questioned, gently and expertly running his hands over the injured leg.

"Yeah, that thing didn't twist it very far. It just feels twisted," Rocky answered. Meanwhile, Zedd had summoned the Dark Ranger to his chambers and was infusing him with more of his energy. When the monarch was done, the boy's eyes shone terribly and his body had changed into Zedd's red tone, only mixed in with black.

"Whoa! This power feels amazing! I love it!"

"Yes. Your former life as Jason Scott, the Red Ranger is no more. You are now and forever more known as Jaytron, heir to my throne."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I realize that Alpha's explanation for drawing the Tyrannosaurus powers away from the alternate Jason's kinda weak, but it worked.


	4. Chapter 4

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

Gothic-Romantic99 (Chs 1-3): Thanks. Yeah, really, right? I mean, one day Jason's the leader, the next he's not and he's just like, "Yeah, cool, wahoo". I mean, come on. This is a come down. There should've at least been an ep similar to "Gung Ho". Thanks, well, I figured it'd make for some good drama. Yeah, well, I wanted to show that Tommy had been just as surprised as the others at the leadership thing. Keep on reading and see. Thanks, I thought it'd fit. Enjoy. Thanks. Well, read on and see. Thank you, it was the only way that I could think of that would make sense. I'm glad you think so. Hopefully, I can continue to keep the feeling of the story being epic. Enjoy! Thanks. I'm glad you feel that everything has flown smoothly and that everyone is in character. Glad you like how I incorporated Rocky. Thank you. Hopefully, further chaps will live up to your expectations. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. Plot is inspired by "The Coins" by KSuzie who gave me permission to run with it. Reference to "Green With Evil Part 1: Out Of Control". And this introduces an idea that I had gotten from one of Jason's lines in "Return Of An Old Friend Part 2".

After the attack, Rocky, Jason, Zack, Trini, Kimberly, Billy, and Tommy had continued their stroll.

"Man, that was some weird welcome," Rocky said again.

"I'm really sorry about that. Angel Grove really is a safe place to live," Kimberly assured.

"Hey, it's fine. At least it was exciting," Rocky responded. He looked at his watch.

"Aw, man. I gotta get home or my parents will flip," he stated.

"You need a ride?" Jason questioned.

"No, but would one of you mind humoring the new kid in town and coming with?" Rocky queried.

"No problem," Jason answered, and the two headed off.

"He makes me miss our Jason," Kimberly admitted.

"I miss him too," Trini agreed. The girls looked at each other and sighed. Tommy ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry, you guys. I know this is hard on you,' he apologized.

"Tommy, don't apologize. This isn't your fault. He made a decision. He's acting like a spoiled brat. We just have to make sure no other civilians are hurt," his girlfriend stated. _I can't believe this. Jason, how could you hurt us like this?_ she wondered. Once Rocky was at his car, the two boys got in and they headed off. As they headed through town, Jason looked around furtively.

"We bein' followed?"

"No, just bein' cautious." Jason fell silent. _Man, I don't know what to do here, but something's telling me that Rocky's gotta be protected at all costs_, he thought to himself. There was a kinship between them-he could feel it. It was the same type of kinship he had felt when first seen Tommy at the Martial Arts Expo. Then he had become a Ranger. Was that what this was? Was Rocky destined to become a Ranger? If that were the case, he'd have to keep an extra sharp eye on him so that this reality's Jason didn't try to destroy him. _Man, is that what's gonna happen to me?_ Jason wondered. He shuddered. He didn't want it to happen. He'd have to compartmentalize his feelings when he got back to his own dimension. He couldn't place the team in danger. Rocky looked to Jason and saw him shudder.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, just thinking." Rocky didn't buy it, but he didn't press it either. But he **did** know that there was something about this guy that he knew he could trust and should protect-a strange connection and instinctive pull. Once Rocky was at his house, he stopped and Jason waited until he was inside, and then headed out. Meanwhile, Jaytron had been perusing the Earth via infrared vision, a talent which Zedd had equipped him with. His black and red eyes darkened as he spied on Jason and the Rangers' new friend. _Hmmm. So…you still think you can replace me, do you?_ he thought to himself. He'd show them all. Back on Earth, Jason headed for his house. When he reached the house, he turned the knob and-found it locked.

"What?" he asked. The boy searched around the house, but found no spare. _What? They always have a spare around here_, he thought in confusion. Then, _Aw, man! He must've turned on them too!_ He ran his fingers through his short hair and then pressed a button on his communicator. Within seconds, he was inside his room. To his surprise, it was completely bare. _Oh, man. This is not good_, he thought. _He must be completely dedicated to Zedd_, he thought. If that was the case, there was no saving this Jason. He let out a scoff at the choice of words. **This** Jason. That was a weird thought. Hearing footsteps, he opened his door to see parents-or rather, this world's version of his parents. He was about to call out to them when he heard his father say something.

"I don't know what to do with him anymore, Christy. He has completely changed."

"We can't just give up on him, Tony. Not after all the time we worked to prove that he could trust us." Jason closed his eyes. _Man, why is this happening?_ he wondered. Even if Zedd had gotten to him, why wasn't this Jason remembering how the Scotts had taken him in? He had gotten lucky with them. Why had he forgotten that? With a sharp inhalation of breath, Jason rubbed the sides of his neck and then, composing himself, he teleported back out.

* * *

In his own reality, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Tommy, and Zack, were in the Command Center, running a diagnostic on the vortex, trying to figure out where it had come from.

"Zack, are you sure you're feeling up to this?" Tommy asked in concern.

"Yeah, maybe you should lie down on the medical chair," Trini added.

"I told you, I'm fine. We've got to figure where that vortex sent Jason," Zack responded. What they didn't know, was that Jason's parents were calling up Jason's friends, trying to find him. Tony hung up the phone and then shook his head.

"The Thompsons haven't seen him either."

"Maybe he ran away. He **did** have a tendency to do that."

"But that was when he was twelve and he didn't trust anybody."

"Tony, what do we do?" The man sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know, Christy. I just don't know." One thing was for sure though; they weren't going to give up on him. They'd find Jason, and when they did, they'd talk about whatever had brought up his old insecurities. That is: if they **did** find him. Tony remembered all too well that Jason could make himself scarce when he wanted to-something that he had used often as a kid. _Come on, Jase. Please don't lose faith in us_, the man thought. His eyes clouded with worry for his son, unaware that he was in another dimension and was worried about them as well.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The line that inspired this twist was "I'm just glad you guys are my parents". I'm aware that it's probably just my imagination running wild, but I found it odd and figured that it **could** imply that Jason was adopted.


	5. Chapter 5

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

MysticMelody101: Thanks, yeah. Thanks, I'm glad you liked that part. Yeah, I always thought I was the only one who thought that. Hmm. Could be. Hope this is soon enough. Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Plot inspired by "The Coins" written by KSuzie who's given me permission to use it. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the adoption plot.

Hours later, in own dimension, Alpha had finally gotten some results.

"I've found something! Hooray!" he exclaimed, and Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Zack crowded around him.

"What is it? What'd you find?" Tommy asked.

"Do you know where the vortex came from?" Zack added.

"No, but I found out where it sent Jason," Alpha answered.

"You found Jason?" Trini questioned.

"Where is he? Is he all right?" Kimberly queried at the same time.

"It's coming up on the viewing globe now," Billy noted. They turned to the screen and were surprised to see themselves.

"That's us," Kimberly said in surprise.

"Alpha, are you sure this is correct?" Billy queried.

"Yes, Billy. This is where the computer picked up Jason's bio-signature," Alpha responded.

"So, what is it? Some sort of alternate reality?" Kimberly wondered.

"I think that's precisely what this is," Billy replied. They watched as Jason approached what appeared to be Tommy's house. To their surprise, he used a tree and knocked on the widow.

"What's going on here?" Zack wondered. Tommy opened the window.

"He messed things up over there too?" he questioned.

"Yeah. I-I-thought-I hoped…" their friend's voice trailed off and Tommy's brows furrowed. What was that all about? Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Zack stared at each other in concern. What were they talking about? Had something happened to his parents in that dimension? They watched as Tommy stood aside and let the boy in.

"What's going on? What are they talking about?" Kimberly wondered. _Oh, did he just find out that something happened to the Scotts?_ she wondered.

"I am uncertain, Kimberly," Zordon responded. Jason sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm worried about Rocky. What if he's attacked?" he wondered.

"Who's Rocky?" Trini asked. Her friends shrugged.

"Then we'll take care of it," the other Tommy answered.

"So, how are **you** dealing with all of this?" Jason asked. The Rangers looked at each other in confusion at the concern in their friend's tone. The other Tommy sighed deeply.

"I hate this. He was the first one to welcome me after they broke Rita's spell and now…" They watched as Jason put a comforting hand on Tommy's shoulder. _Huh? What's that about?_ They wondered. Just then, the picture became static-y and the alarm blared.

"No, we're losing him!" Kimberly shouted desperately.

"I'm sorry, Rangers, but the sensors have picked up something else," Alpha apologized.

"Is the monster back?" Tommy queried. Then, as the monster showed up in the viewing globe, "Yep, he's back. It's morphin' time! Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Once morphed, they went out to meet the monster and pulled out their weapons. The monster roared and charged at them, and soon the Rangers were locked in a fierce battle with it. On the moon, Zedd was sitting on his throne, tapping his nails on the side of the chair. _I love it! The Red Ranger has disappeared, throwing the others in a tizzy!_ he thought to himself. He wasn't sure where the Red Ranger had been sent, but if it got him out of the way…who was he to complain? Too bad he couldn't get rid of the other Power Brats that easily.

"Say, there's an idea," he said out loud. _If I could get the other Rangers out of the way, the Earth will be mine!_ He thought. "Goldar! Goldar!" The winged monkey hurried into the chambers.

"You called Sire?"

"Yes, the Red Ranger has disappeared and I suspect that he was pulled into a vortex that I noticed earlier. I want you to see if you can track the vortex and discover a way to use it to our advantage. If we find it, we could send the other Rangers through it and just be done with them." Goldar bowed and went do his lord's bidding. Zedd stood up and perused the sky. Maybe he could find it himself. Sure, he had told Goldar to find it, but it wasn't like **that** was possible.

* * *

In the other reality, Jason had hunkered down by Tommy's bed and had tried to go to sleep, but found that his mind was too awake. _What am I going to do? Am I ever going to get home? Man, Tommy and the others must be going crazy_, he thought. Then, he frowned. What if they didn't care? What if they were happy that he was gone? _No! That's how the other Jason got messed up! Don't buy into that!_ he chided himself. There was no way he'd let himself end up like him. While this was going on, Rocky was doing a cool down in his family's large den. The door opened to reveal his father, Miguel.

"Mijo, shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked in concern.

"Couldn't sleep. It's just been a long day and I couldn't wind down and thought maybe a cool down would do the trick," the boy answered, stopping his actions.

"How's it working?"

"Not well." Miguel laughed and ruffled his son's hair like he was still a little boy.

"Just don't stay up too late, mijo."

"Yes, Sir." The man left the den and headed back to his bedroom as his son resumed the workout, unaware that despite Jason's precaution, they had had a shadow. Jaytron's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he watched the boy finish his cool down and then get into bed. _Don't get so comfortable, buddy. This is __**my**__ team, and there's only room for __**one**__ Red Ranger_, he thought to himself. No one was going to take his team from him. **No one**.


	6. Chapter 6

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

MysticMelody101: Thank you. Hope this is soon enough. Thanks, yeah, me too. Good point, plus his line at the end of "A Golden Homecoming"-"I knew I was leaving the Power Rangers in good hands with you as your leader." Indicates that maybe he and Zordon talked before the whole White Ranger revelation. Again, hope this is soon enough. Thanks.

MusicLover3889: Thanks. I have the first part of "Storybook Rangers" up.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

JasonLeeScottFan: Thanks, I took your advice, thank you for it. Hope this update's soon enough.

Gothic-Romantic99 (Chs 4-5): Lol, someone's excited. Thanks. Thank you, I'm glad you think so. Lol. True, but what can you do? Yep. Thanks. Yeah, it **was** kinda hard writing that, especially since I'm such a big Jason fan. Thank you. Oh, thanks. Yeah, I figured it'd fit as well as putting in some perspective for Jaytron. Read on and see. Thanks. Thanks. I'm glad you think so. Thank you. Yeah, I'm not sure why I chose that particular word, but if it worked…lol. Yeah, I know, right? Thank you. Good. He was supposed to be. Cool. Yep. Thank you. Me too, and I'm the one writing it. Thank you. Hope this is soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Inspired by "The Coins" by KSuzie who has given me permission to run with the idea. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the subplot. Thanks to JasonLeeScottFan who suggested a way to make the distinction between the two realities more clear. Previous chaps have been reformatted using their suggestion. They never really explored Zedd's powers on the show, so we don't really know what his magic allowed to do, which means I get to play with that. Bold is telepathic speak.

The Rangers put their weapons together and let the multiple energies surround it, destroying it. Zedd banged a fist on the balcony.

"NO! MY BEAUTIFUL MONSTER!" he roared. Once they were finished, the Rangers teleported back to the Command Center.

"Zordon, is there a way to access the reality Jason got pulled into?" Tommy wondered.

"At this point, we're uncertain, Tommy," Zordon responded. Tommy let out a noise of frustration.

"So we've found him, but we can't get to him. Terrific," he stated sarcastically.

"Zordon, we have to get him back. I'm sure his parents are going crazy," Kimberly added.

"Yeah, with his long absence, they probably think he ran away again," Zack added.

"What?" Tommy questioned. Zack, Trini, Billy, and Kimberly looked at each other.

"Rangers, I understand your concern. But you must remain calm," Zordon told them. The Rangers nodded. He was right. They had to keep cool. They knew were Jason was and they could keep an eye on him. Tommy looked at his friends. What were they talking about? When had Jason ever run away from home? He wouldn't have any reason to. _Hang on, Jase. Just whatever's going on over there, just know that we're comin' for you, Bro_, he thought to himself. They weren't going to abandon him. While this was going on, the Scotts were at the Angel Grove Police Department talking to an officer, Vic Snyder.

"So, wait, you're saying Jason ran away again?" he asked.

"Yes, but we're not sure why," Tony responded.

"Were there any crossed wires? You know a conversation that he overheard and misunderstood?" the officer asked again.

"No, Vic. That hasn't happened since he was thirteen. After that, we sat him down and we all made an agreement that we would be upfront with each other," Tony responded.

"And we've been doing that ever since-you know, for the important things," Christy added. She sighed. "This just doesn't make any sense, Vic. Jason wouldn't run away. He wouldn't fall into old habits. Now-a-days when he's upset, he goes to Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar to work things out." She let out a frustrated groan and buried her face in her hands. "This doesn't-I don't understand-" She looked up. "I thought we had made progress with him."

"We have."

"Listen, if it'll make you feel better, I'll revisit some of the places he's been known to run to."

"Thanks, Vic." The two left and Vic sighed and blew out a breath. Jason. That was a name he hadn't heard in a while. The boy had been one of his tougher cases, mainly because he refused to trust anyone, especially adults. Not that he could blame the kid. After all, he had been dumped at Little Haven, the Angel Grove orphanage, by his real parents at ten years old. No explanations, no apologies, they had just dropped him at the door and had left town never to be seen again. With concern in his eyes, he stood up and walked out the door.

* * *

The next day, Jason and Tommy walked up to Angel Grove High and were instantly met up with Rocky and the other Rangers.

"Hey, you okay, man? You don't look so good," Rocky noted. They turned to Jason who yawned.

"I'm okay. I just didn't sleep very well. My mind was too full," Jason assured. The others nodded and they all headed for class before the bell rang. Unnoticed, Jaytron teleported himself to the entrance of the school. His black/red eyes blazed as he used his infrared vision to spy on the students. What had incensed him was the sight of the Rangers and their new friends, one who had stolen his Powers. _These are __**my**__ friends! Zedd's given me the Power to get them back! And once I do, things will be back to normal_, he thought. All he had to do was destroy Tommy-the one who had **pretended** to be his friend, while in actuality; he had been planning on usurping his leadership and stealing his friends. Using his newfound powers, Jaytron made himself invisible. Then, he walked through the halls of Angel Grove High. Throughout the day, he followed his former team as they went to their classes just like they always did. About two hours later, he saw them in the halls, talking and laughing. He huffed angrily and energy started to crackle from his hands. **Calm down, Jaytron. You don't want to move too soon**, Zedd cautioned. **Yes, Lord Zedd**, he agreed. The rest of the day was pretty much routine with classes, some Putty attacks, and then a monster made from an electric eel. Jaytron watched as the monster and Rangers fought. His gaze narrowed and he clenched a fist when he saw the Red and White Rangers. **I want them, Lord Zedd. Let me have them. I need to get my team back**, he pleaded. He couldn't be abandoned again. Losing his team would be like losing his parents all over again. **Patience, it'll happen**, the monarch promised. On the moon, he smirked. It had been a stroke of genius to play on the Red Ranger's jealousy and insecurities. Now he had a valuable tool in his army to defeat the Rangers. His reverie was broken by Goldar's footsteps.

"My lord, what is your next command?" the winged-monkey queried.

"Go help Eelster. Destroy the Rangers…if you can," Zedd answered. With any luck, Goldar would be destroyed and he wouldn't have to bother with him anymore. He returned his gaze to Earth and Goldar went to do his bidding.

"It's Goldar! What's he doing here?" the Red Ranger wondered.

"I will destroy you!" Goldar roared.

"Double team?" the White Ranger queried.

"Always, Bro," the Red Ranger answered. With that, the two came at the winged-monkey from both sides and kicked him. Eelster lunged at the Blue and Black Rangers who blocked the attack and knocked him back. It roared and then reached out with a tentacle, wrapped it around the Black Ranger, and let out a burst of electricity.

"ZACK!" The Black Ranger gave out a groan, which turned into an agonized scream. Meanwhile, as soon as the attack had started, students had been ushered into classrooms and locked in. Over the PA system, the Principal, who had referred to himself as Mr. Caplan, announced that until the attack was over, students and faculty were to stay inside their classrooms and out of harm's way.

"Right. 'Safe place to live' she says," Rocky grumbled to himself. _First I get attacked by strange clay creatures and now apparently we're in the middle of a comic book_, he thought. Then, _Well, at least it's keeping things exciting. I was stuck in Math class before this_, he continued. The television in their classroom continued to bring live reports. Rocky winced when he saw the Black Ranger get grabbed by the monster.

"Come on. Get free," he said softly. On the moon, Zedd drummed his fingers on his throne thought. _Well, as long as the Rangers are distracted, I think I'll send my Putties to the school_, he decided. With that, he charged up a batch of the creatures and then sent them down. There was a banging on the classroom door and some of the girls gasped.

"What's going on out there?" one asked. Rocky could only shrug. He had no clue. He had just moved here. The banging came again and everyone tensed. The door was forced open and Rocky got into a defensive stance as the clay creatures swarmed into the classroom.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Okay, don't kill me, but updates may be a tad slow from here on out because I'm not sure of which direction to take. On one hand, I could have the Rangers destroy Jaytron and be done with the alternate reality business after this fic, or leave him alive, allowing for a **possible** sequel. Like I said, I'm not sure of which direction to take, though I'll still be working on the fic.


	7. Chapter 7

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

MysticMelody101: Thanks. Thanks, here's more.

Alex B. Goode: Thanks.

Gothic-Romantic99: Thanks (And sure it is!). Thank you, Zedd's fun to write, well…not as fun as Rita, but…yeah. Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Yeah, unfortunately, that version of Jason was manipulate-able (or, however you spell it). You'll see. Thank you. Okey-doke. I'll try. Thank you, here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Concept inspired by "The Coins" by KSuzie who allowed me to run with it. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. One line taken from "The Return Of An Old Friend Pt 2".

As the Putties entered, Rocky let out a yell and kicked one of the clay creatures. Inspired, some of the other kids began to do the same. A Putty let out a swing at Rocky's head, but he ducked and let out a side kick. _Man, what do these things want?_ Rocky wondered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw other classmates fighting as well. He bent down and did a leg sweep, knocking one of the Putties to the ground. There was a whooshing sound and everyone gasped as Rocky was knocked to the ground. When he looked up, he saw a boy with a red skin tone that was mixed with black, colors that matched the evil glint in his eye.

"So…hanging with the posers, huh?" he asked, hauling him to his feet. "I'll **enjoy** destroying you." Then, he moved to put his hands around Rocky's throat, but the move was blocked and he kicked the boy back. _Who the heck is this guy?_ He wondered. The boy came at him again and he blocked the attack. The boy's eyes darkened and he summoned a wave of energy with his hand. Then, he shot the power at Rocky who flew back. On the battle field, the White Ranger's communicator beeped.

"Tommy, Angel Grove High is under attack. Some of you must go protect it," Zordon told him.

"Right," the White Ranger agreed. "Jason, Zack, go to Angel Grove High-hurry!" The Red and Black Rangers teleported to the school where they saw the situation and instantly jumped into action. The Red Ranger looked around. _Where's Rocky?_ He wondered. Hearing an agonized scream, he froze.

"GO! I'VE GOT THIS!" the Black Ranger told him. The Red Ranger darted off. Then, he skidded to a stop when he saw the scene: Jaytron had Rocky in some kind of magnetic hold.

"HEY! COME AND GET ME, YOU SECOND RATE RANGER!" At the accusation, Jaytron turned around.

"Second rate?" he growled. _Who does this punk think he is?_ he wondered. He had successfully led the team for two years before Tommy had betrayed him.

"You heard me. Come and get me…if you're Ranger enough," the Red Ranger taunted. With a growl, Jaytron let Rocky go and lunged at the Red Ranger, who just jumped out of the way.

"Too slow," he mocked. "Must be getting old." Jaytron's eyes flashed. "You want me? Come and get me." The Red Ranger darted off, and Jaytron followed him. _I'll show __**him**__ second rate_, he thought angrily. He was nothing but a clone. He could defeat him easily. The Red Ranger panted as he ran off. _Man! I hope this works_, he thought. It had been weird saying all that stuff to another version of himself. But at least he wasn't trying to kill Rocky anymore. He felt a blast behind him and he quickly somersaulted forward. Meanwhile, Rocky had caught his breath enough that he had resumed fighting. At the other battle, the Eelster wrapped a tentacle around the Blue and Yellow Rangers. They screamed in pain as sparks flew from their suits. The other Rangers went to come to their aid, but Goldar jumped through the air and brought his sword crashing down on each of them. They pulled out their Power Weapons and charged at him, getting in a few blows, but ultimately being knocked back. Eelster sent another shockwave to the Blue and Yellow Rangers, which caused them to de-morph. Then, he disappeared, taking his captives with him. Goldar cackled and also disappeared.

"BILLY! TRINI!" the White Ranger cried. On the moon, Zedd turned to the minions who had just appeared.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"My lord, by capturing the Yellow and Blue Rangers, Eelster has given us a great advantage. We can force the Rangers to surrender to you or we'll have Jaytron destroy them," Goldar quickly interjected.

"Say…that's not a bad idea, Goldar. Good to know you actually have a brain in there," Zedd stated. He turned to the Eelster.

"Put them in the dungeon," he ordered.

"Right away, Lord Zedd," Eelster responded and then did so. The two grunted as they landed on the floor.

"Trini, are you injured?" Billy queried, painfully rising to his knees and checking her over.

"I'm all right. Are you okay?" Trini answered, doing the same.

"I'm relatively uninjured, though I must say our new accommodations **definitely** leave something to be desired," Billy answered. She let out a wry chuckle. Back on Earth, the Rangers had been made aware of the situation. Jaytron laughed darkly as he heard the summons.

"So, what's it gonna be, loser?" he sneered. The Red Ranger's eyes flashed from underneath the helmet. Still laughing, he summoned a ball of energy and prepared to throw it. Seizing his chance, the Red Ranger grabbed Jaytron's arm and twisted it until he heard a snap. With lightning speed, he grabbed the communicator and empty Morpher. Then, he teleported away. Jaytron groaned and cradled his arm. Though he had been infused with Zedd's energy, he was still human. **Jaytron, return to the palace at once. We have what we need**, he heard Zedd say. **But-**he started to protest. **NOW!** Zedd's voice thundered. He lowered his head submissively. **Yes, Master**, he agreed and then teleported back to the moon. Rocky panted as he watched the Putties disappear. Meanwhile, the other Rangers had returned to the Command Center.

"Hey, that was nice work with the communicator and Morpher, man," Zack stated.

"Thanks," Jason answered. "But what about Billy and Trini?"

"Yeah. I can't believe that thing got them," Tommy sighed.

"Zordon, where were they taken?" Jason questioned.

"No doubt the monster took them to Lord Zedd's dungeon on the moon," Zordon answered.

"Man!" Zack yelled.

"We've gotta get 'em out of there!" Tommy exclaimed at the same time.

* * *

Alpha was in the Command Center, running an analysis on the vortex while the other Rangers crowded around him anxiously. There **had** to be a way to get Jason out of there. He pressed some buttons on the console and there was a printing noise.

"I did it! Hooray!" Alpha cheered.

"What's it say?" Tommy queried.

"The data shows that the portal and any other dimension or reality that it opens can be accessed via a power surge from the Morphing Grid. All it takes is something that's been touched the Grid itself," Alpha told them.

"You mean like our Power Coins?" Kimberly asked.

"Precisely, Kimberly," Alpha replied.

"Let's do it," Kimberly stated.

"Yeah, let's bring him home," Tommy agreed. The Rangers took their coins and held them together.

"We call on the powers of all those combined!" Kimberly exclaimed.

"Tigerzord!" Tommy hailed.

"Mastodon!" Zack cried.

"Pterodactyl!" Kimberly summoned.

"Triceratops!" Billy yelled.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Trini finished. The coins shone and then the energy flew into the computer. _Oh, please let this work. Hold on Jase_, Kimberly thought to herself. _Hold on, buddy. We're coming_, Tommy thought. The portal opened just as the viewing globe flickered to life.

"Jason!" Kimberly cried in relief.

* * *

Tommy blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Jase, I-I don't know what to do here, Bro. I don't know Zedd's palace like I knew Rita's and-" he trailed off when a crackling noise filled the air.

"What's that?" Kimberly wondered. She and Zack moved closer to Jason and Tommy. Some kind of portal opened up.

"Watch it!" Jason exclaimed as he and Tommy pushed Kimberly and Zack back.

"There's something on the viewing globe," Alpha stated at the same time.

"Jason!" he heard Kimberly cry in relief. Jason's throat caught as his friends came into view.

"Hi, guys," he greeted thickly.


	8. Chapter 8

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

MysticMelody101: Thank you. Thanks, I will.

Jeremy Shane: Thanks, here's more.

Gothic-Romantic99: Thank you. Yeah, I couldn't resist torturing him a little, but I'm glad you liked what Jason did. Here's more.

DISCLAIMER

Inspired by "The Coins" written by KSuzie, who has given me permission to run with the plot. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the characters you don't recognize.

Trying to swallow the lump in his throat, Jason smiled at the others through the viewing globe.

"Jason, are you okay?" his reality's Kimberly questioned.

"Yeah, I'm all right," he assured. Then, "How'd you get the portal open?"

"A power surge culminated by the combination of our Power Coins," his reality's Billy explained.

"Huh?" everyone asked.

"We combined our Power Coins," his reality's Trini explained.

"Oh," they all said.

"Just hang tight, buddy. We're gonna get you home," his reality's Tommy stated. Jason's throat muscles constricted even more. They **had** been searching for him. And now they were offering him a way back. Oh, he wanted to go so bad. But he couldn't. Not when all this stuff was going on.

"Bro, I can't. Not just yet," he told him.

"What? Why?" his friends asked.

"Billy and Trini-their Billy and Trini-have just been captured. I can't leave until we get them back…and they get a new Red Ranger," came the response. His friends looked at each other and then him in confusion.

"Jase, what are you talking about, man?" his reality's Zack wondered.

"Yeah, where's their Jason?" his reality's Trini added.

"He's gone," Jason answered in a tone that told his friends not to press it. "Guys, I want to come home, I do. But I can't leave them like this." His friends nodded.

"We understand, man," Tommy said.

"How are Mom and Dad?" Jason wondered.

"We haven't been in contact with them. We weren't sure what to say," Trini answered.

"Right," Jason nodded. That made sense. They couldn't exactly tell them that he was a Power Ranger and had been sucked into an alternate reality. "Listen, I wanna come back, I **do**. But you'd be making the same decision if you were in my shoes. It's why Zordon chose us." They nodded.

"Okay, you just be safe," Kimberly told him.

"Thanks, girl. I will," Jason promised. They shut off the transmission.

"You didn't have to do that. You could've gone back. I mean, this isn't your world," Tommy told him.

"I know, but what kind of a person would I be if I did that? No. I'll stay until you guys are a full team again," Jason declared.

"Your dedication to the Rangers is noted and appreciated, Red Ranger. You are truly a Ranger at heart and were worthy of the leadership when you had it," Zordon told him.

"Can I ask a question?" Jason requested.

"Of course," Zordon agreed.

"I realize that the answer might be different in my world, but why **did** you replace your Jason as leader?" Jason wondered.

"It is the Eltarian tradition to replace Ranger leaders after a certain period of time to prevent burn out," Zordon answered.

"So it wasn't the failure to get the Green Candle?" Jason asked.

"Absolutely not," Zordon replied. Jason inhaled. It was good to know that at least **one** version of Zordon didn't consider him a failure. Hopefully, his version didn't either.

"Now all we gotta do is figure out how to get Billy and Trini back," Kimberly stated.

"One of us would have to go to Zedd's palace and bust them out," Zack said.

"I'll do it. I'm the leader. It's my responsibility," Tommy determined.

"No, it's too dangerous. Zedd and your Jason would be expecting that. And if they destroy you…there's no telling **what** could happen," Jason objected.

"He's right, Tommy. We're short as it is," Kimberly agreed.

"Then who will go?" Tommy wondered.

"I will," Jason volunteered.

"No!" the others cried.

"Look, I'm not from this world, which is why it makes sense," Jason said.

"But you have your own world to get back to, and they can't afford to lose you," Kimberly reminded him.

"The other Rangers are right Jason, though I commend your sense of duty," Zordon agreed. Then, Tommy was struck with an idea.

"Wait, guys. I think I got something," he said. They all huddled around as he outlined his plan. Meanwhile, Billy and Trini were still in Zedd's dungeon, and trying to find a way out.

"Billy, I think it's hopeless. I mean, we can't morph, teleport, or even contact the Command Center…we're stuck," Trini stated.

"Don't be discouraged, Trini. Tommy and the others are still out there. They'll figure out a way to save us," Billy comforted, placing his hands on her shoulders. She smiled at him. He was right. She just had to have faith that they'd find a way to free them.

* * *

In Jason's reality, Kimberly sighed as the transmission was cut off.

"I don't believe this. He had a chance to come home," she moaned.

"But you heard him, he has to help rescue their Billy and Trini as well as get a new Red Ranger," Zack reminded her. Tommy put a comforting hand on Kimberly's shoulder.

"He'll be back. We all saw the look on his face. He wants to come home…but he also wants to make sure things are secure there before he leaves. I'd do the same thing if I was in his shoes," he told them. They nodded. _Oh, Jason. Please be careful_, Kimberly thought. If anything happened to her big brother, she didn't know what she'd do.

"Zordon, what do we do in the meantime?" Tommy asked.

"For the time being, I would recommend that you go about your day as normally as possible," Zordon told them.

"Okay," they all agreed and teleported out. Meanwhile, just as he promised, Vic was out looking for Jason. He had changed into civilian clothing and had taken his regular car instead of a patrol car. If Jason had run, he didn't want him thinking that he had come to find him as a cop. He drove until he reached the seedier side of Angel Grove. Then, he parked and walked into towards a run-down warehouse and was stopped at the door.

"Yeah, whatta ya want?" a boy about ten-years old barked. He was Caucasian, and his blue eyes shone fiercely and his brown hair hung over his eyes. He was wearing a thin white t-shirt with dirty blue jeans.

"I'm looking for someone," Vic replied.

"No one's here," the boy shot back. Before Vic could say anymore, a Caucasian boy a couple of years older than Jason came out. He had long chestnut hair that was unkempt, dark eyes, and wearing an ill-fitting, torn gray shirt and black jeans that had large tears in them from the knees down.

"Long time, Vic. Whatcha need?" he queried.

"Too long, Jess. You seen Jason around?" came the answer. Jess looked at the kid.

"PJ, get inside," he ordered.

"But-" PJ protested.

"**Now**," Jess insisted.

"Aw, man. I never get to hear the good stuff," PJ complained, but did as he was told. Jess shut the door behind him.

"You're telling me Jason ran?" he questioned.

"That's what it looks like," the officer responded. "Thought maybe he had come here. After all, he **does** trust you."

"Well, he hasn't been here, but if we see him, we'll tell him you're lookin' for him."

"Thanks." _Guess I have a little more searching to do_, he thought to himself. Jess' place had been the first on his list. The officer turned to go. "Oh, and 'PJ'?"

"We found him in his pajamas." Vic nodded. That made sense. Then, he got into his car, and drove away. Jess frowned. It didn't make sense. The Scotts were good people. He had checked up on them after they took Jason in to make sure of that. They had never hurt him and they loved him unconditionally. So, what could've cause Jason to run?

"Guys, I'm going out!" he called. "Michael's in charge." He then left the establishment and started off.

* * *

Jason stepped out into the clearing and looked around, the Power Coin hanging like a weight in his pocket. _Tommy, I've heard some hair-brained schemes in the past, but this one takes the cake. I hope it works_, he thought to himself.

"Jason?" Startled at the dark voice, Jason whirled around. Jaytron stood in front of him. "What do you want?" he demanded, striding up to him. _I can't believe they sent the clone here. What are they thinking?_ he wondered.

"It's what you and the other Rangers want," Jason corrected.

"What are you talking about?"

"Tommy's out. They don't want him. They want **you** back."

"Lies!" Jason made no move to stop Jaytron's strike.

"Jason, wait!" Kimberly called. They both turned to see her with Zack. "He's telling the truth. Why do you think we made a clone of you?"

"You-you-still want me?" Jaytron queried.

"Yeah, man. **You**'**re** our leader-not Tommy," Zack replied.

"But you were all so happy to have him back," Jaytron reminded.

"We were stupid. We had forgotten what a great team it was-just the five of us," Zack stated.

"Yeah, man. You always made us feel like we could fight on our own-Tommy always just makes it looks like we need to be rescued," Kimberly added. She placed a hand on his arm.

"Jason, please come back to us," she pleaded. He hesitated. Just then, there was a whooshing sound and they all turned to see Tommy.

"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded.

"Getting our **true** leader back," Zack responded.

"Yeah! You're just an egotistical poser," Kimberly added.

"Guys?" Tommy's jaw dropped in shock. Jaytron allowed himself a smirk. _Let's see how you like it_, he thought to himself. His team was coming back. His family was coming back. Then, he frowned. What if it was all a lie? They all had accepted Tommy as the leader so easily.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trick?" he demanded. Jason took out the Tiger Power Coin.

"Would we be giving you **this**?" he queried, holding his hand out to Jaytron. Tommy ran towards them, only to be intercepted by Zack and Kimberly.

"Back off!" Zack snarled. "It's time for our **true** leader to regain his place."

"Wha-why have you turned on me?" Tommy wondered.

"Because you're second best. And I'm getting so sick of always having to cry out 'TO-O-O-OMY' just to stroke your ego," Kimberly responded. Jaytron grinned.

"So…it appears that the tide has turned," he sneered. They were all unaware that the scene was being watched by Zedd.

"NO, YOU FOOL! THEY'RE TRICKING YOU! DESTROY THEM!" He attempted to contact the boy telepathically, but found himself blocked. Jaytron turned to Jason.

"I'll take that…if you don't mind," he said in a voice that was almost gentle.

"Of course not," Jason responded. Jaytron reached out to take the coin. As soon as his fingers were around the coin, Jason grabbed them and twisted them in a way that brought him down. Instantly, Zack, Kimberly, and Tommy were on top of him.

"Where are they!" Kimberly demanded.

"YOU TRICKED ME! YOU TRICKED ME!" Jaytron shouted. He clenched his other fist and began to summon his powers, but Jason put his other hand around the boy's throat, cutting off his oxygen.

"We'll have none of that. The only thing we want out of you is Billy and Trini's location," he snarled. "Blink once if you understand me." Jaytron had no choice but to obey. He blinked once. "Good. Now then…where…are…they?" Jason loosened his grasp only enough so that the ex-Ranger could speak.

"Zedd's palace. Dungeon," he rasped.

"Good boy," Jason approved. Then, he pushed the other boy away, making sure to reclaim the Tiger Power Coin and give it back to Tommy. Then, they all teleported back to the Command Center.

"Yes! It worked," Kimberly cheered.

"Now to save Billy and Trini, and then get our new Red Ranger," Jason determined.

"It's morphing time!" Tommy shouted. "Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Tyrannosaurus!" Once they were morphed, Alpha teleported them all to the moon.

"Okay, now go slow. And stick together," the White Ranger whispered. They all started on their way.


	9. Chapter 9

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Gothic-Romantic99: Thank you. yeah, I liked "Billy" as Kimberly called it in "Happy Birthday Zack". Thank you, I thought that would be a reason that our Jason would accept. Hmm. Yeah. Thanks. I was a little nervous about that part, I wasn't really sure if was gonna work. You'll see. Thanks, I'm glad you think so. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

Jeremy Shane: Thank you. Here's more.

Alex B. Goode: Thanks, man.

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. Concept inspired by "The Coins" written KSuzie who gave me permission to run with it. I only own characters you don't recognize.

The White, Black, Pink, and Red Rangers snuck through the Lunar Palace.

"Where do you think the dungeon is?" the Pink Ranger wondered.

"I don't know. This is different than Rita's Palace," the White Ranger answered.

"Don't worry about it, Bro. We'll find them," the Red Ranger assured. They continued on their way. Meanwhile, Zedd had thrown Jaytron across the Chamber Of Command.

"YOU FOOL! I TRIED TO WARN YOU! WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME!" he roared.

"I thought I was getting my team back. I wasn't expecting **them** to betray me too," came the retort. Zedd fumed, but then remembered to keep his temper in check. If he turned on Jaytron, the boy could possibly go rogue, which he couldn't allow to happen.

"That just goes to show how far Tommy has them under his wing. If you destroy him-"

"No." Zedd's eyes narrowed as the boy stood up. Was he turning on him?

"What do you mean 'No'?"

"If they love Tommy so much, they can share his fate." Zedd let out a booming laugh. _Well, this turned out better than I thought_, he silently said. Of course he had been planning to destroy the other Rangers all along, but now that Jaytron shared his desire, it would be easier than ever. _Look out, Rangers! Your end is near!_ he thought to himself. While the two began discussing the next phase in their plan, Goldar was doing a patrol around the palace as per Zedd's request. _I wouldn't put it past those wretched Rangers to try and rescue their friends_, he thought to himself. Personally, he kind of hoped that they did try something. It had been too long since he had been given a good fight. His features curved into a terrible grin as he thought about how great it would be to finally destroy the Rangers. Then, he noticed a blinking light from an alarm that was in section that headed for the dungeon. _Rangers_, he thought to himself. He strode out to intercept them.

"I don't like this. This is too easy," the White Ranger muttered.

"Yeah, I mean, we haven't even encountered Putties," the Red Ranger agreed. Suddenly, there was a growl.

"What the-"

"GOLDAR!" At the Black Ranger's warning, they all dropped into defensive stances as the winged monkey charged them. His sword shone as he lashed out at them and they cried out in pain as they fell to the ground. Goldar laughed.

"You fools…are finished!" The Rangers brought out their weapons and soon the palace thundered with the sound of striking weapons.

"GOLDAR, REPORT!" Zedd roared. When there was no answer, he growled and stomped towards the sound. "GOLDAR! I SAID-" his rant trailed away when he saw the sight. He summoned his energy to his staff and fired at the Rangers.

"Whoa. Watch it!" the Pink Ranger warned, and they all ducked. The White and Red Rangers shared a look. The White Ranger subtly pointed past them and the Red Ranger nodded. Then, as the White Ranger moved to the side, Zedd turned to blast him and the Black and Pink Rangers charged at Goldar, allowing the Red Ranger to slip away. He had almost reached the dungeon when-he was yanked from behind.

"You lose." The Red Ranger fell on his back and Jaytron placed a foot on his wrist. _What am I, in the Dark Dimension? I don't think so!_ the Red Ranger thought to himself and then wrapped a leg around one of Jaytron's ankles, knocking him down. The Red Ranger lashed out with a kick. Then, he jumped to his feet, as did Jaytron. Jaytron summoned energy from his hand and fired on the Red Ranger who quickly jumped out of the way and then pulled out his Power Sword. Jaytron threw another energy bolt at him, and he deflected it with his sword. Jaytron was knocked to the ground and the Red Ranger took the opportunity to flip through the air, kick Jaytron back, and then continued on his way. With a growl, Jaytron stood up and started running after him, throwing blast after blast. _THAT STUPID CLONE THINKS HE'S GOING TO BEST __**ME**__!_ Jaytron thought to himself. In the palace's dungeon, Billy and Trini had jumped up when they had heard the sounds of fighting.

"What is going on out there?" Trini wondered.

"The noise is similar to that of when Zack's relatives all converge in the summer for their annual festivities," Billy stated. Trini couldn't help but chuckle. It **did** sound like one of Zack's family reunions.

"Billy, Trini, you guys in here?" they suddenly heard.

"Jason!" they chorused, scrambling to their feet. Moments later, the Red Ranger appeared.

"You guys okay?"

"Yeah, I say we make a hasty exit." Trini nodded at Billy's statement. The Red Ranger ushered them out.

"We gotta hurry. I think some of Zedd's powers include regeneration or healing," the Red Ranger stated.

"Why do you say that?" Trini wondered.

"I broke Jaytron's arm and he's using it as if nothing even happened," the Red Ranger replied. Trini looked over the Red Ranger's shoulder.

"Watch out!" she and Billy pulled him to the ground just as a beam of energy came at them.

"Can you morph?"

"We'll try."

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" To their relief, the familiar rush energy enveloped them and they were soon in their respective costumes. When they got back, they saw the White Ranger fighting Zedd and the Black and Pink Rangers fighting Goldar. The Red, Pink, and Yellow Rangers joined the White Ranger in fighting as Jaytron came in, throwing blasts at the Red Ranger.

"Guys, I think we better get out of here!" the Yellow Ranger cried.

"Good idea," the White Ranger agreed, and then they all teleported out. Zedd roared in anger and turned to his minions.

"YOU FOOLS! YOU LET THEM ESCAPE!" He let out a blast from his staff, and his underlings flinched as the energy just barely missed them. "EELSTER! GET BACK DOWN THERE!" The monster did so and Zedd automatically made it grow.

"We need the Power of Thunder!" the White Ranger called. "Tigerzord!"

"Mastodon-Lion Thunderzord Power!"

"Pterodactyl-Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Triceratops-Unicorn Thunderzord Power!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger-Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

"Tyrannosaurus-Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!" The zords came at the summons and Rangers jumped into their respective zords. The White Ranger converted the Tigerzord to Warrior Mode, while the other Rangers created the Thunder Megazord. The Eelster let out shockwaves that rocked both zords.

"Bring 'em together!" the White Ranger instructed and zords reassembled to create the MegaTigerzord. Eelster punched, kicked, and shot more electricity at the zord, but was soon destroyed. Once more, Zedd roared in anger and started berating his minions. A few minutes later, the Rangers were back at the Command Center.

"Excellent work, Rangers. Once again, you have triumphed over Zedd's forces," Zordon congratulated.

"Thanks, Zordon," the Rangers smiled.

"But what are we going to do without a Red Ranger?" Billy wondered.

"Yeah, Jason can't stay indefinitely. He has his own reality to get back to," Kimberly agreed.

"I realize that, Rangers. Once it became clear that Jaytron was Zedd's new heir, I had Alpha start a search for a new Ranger and have selected a candidate," Zordon told them. Tommy, Kimberly, Trini, Billy, Zack, and Jason looked at each other nervously.

"Zordon, who?" Kimberly asked, somewhat nervously. For an answer, Alpha pressed the "teleportation" button and seconds later, Rocky was also in the Command Center.

"Whoa! Wha-what is this place?" Rocky questioned.

"Rocky!" the others exclaimed. The boy stammered for a bit and then it hit him.

"You guys are the Power Rangers?" he questioned.

"Yeah," Tommy nodded.

"So, why am I here?" Rocky wondered.

"You remember that guy that attacked you?" Tommy asked. Rocky nodded. Of course he remembered. He had nearly killed him. If it hadn't been for the Red Ranger, he would've been history. Though, he was still confused as to why the Red Ranger had called his attacker "a second rate Ranger". Surely that couldn't have been a Power Ranger. They were the good guys.

"What's your point?" Rocky queried.

"That **was** Jason Scott, the Red Ranger," Kimberly answered.

"But he's-" Rocky's voice trailed off as he pointed to Jason.

"I'm from a different reality," Jason told him.

"Okay. There are monsters and aliens trying to take over the world, why not different universes?" Rocky asked.

"The point is, Jason can't stay here and we need a Red Ranger," Tommy stated.

"And you want **me**?" Rocky gasped. "Why? I mean, I-" his voice trailed off.

"Rocky, Alpha and I have done a background check on you and have discovered you to be fair, honest, loyal, and true. We would be proud to have you as our new Red Ranger," Zordon stated.

"All right, I'm in," Rocky agreed. Jason handed him the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin. "So, how do we get Jason home?" he wondered.

"Billy-my reality's Billy said that they combined the Power Coins and created a power surge," Jason recalled.

"Let's do it," Kimberly declared. They pulled out their Power Coins and held them together.

"We call on the power of all those combined!" Tommy stated. "Tigerzord!" he continued.

"Mastodon!" Zack cried.

"Pterodactyl!" Kimberly summoned.

"Triceratops!" Billy yelled.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Trini shouted.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Rocky finished. The coins shone and then the energy flew into the computer. Then, the portal opened. Jason grinned when he saw the Command Center.

"I'm goin' home," he said.

"Jason!" his friends called.

"Go on, Bro. Your friends are waiting," Tommy told him.

"Well, if you guys ever need help-"

"We know." With that, Jason stepped through the vortex and entered his own Command Center.


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. Concept by "The Coins" written by KSuzie who has given me permission to run with it. I only own characters you don't recognize. The second half of this (a few weeks later portion) takes place during what would be the end of "The Power Transfer" but gives Rocky, Adam, and Aisha more of a ceremonial welcome into the Ranger family. I'm taking out the Sword of Light since I feel that they had just thrown that in because of the quick way they were getting rid of Jason, Zack, and Trini. Uses some lines from the episode.

As soon as Jason stepped into the Command Center, the other Rangers and Alpha wrapped him in a hug.

"Jase, you're back!" Trini exclaimed.

"We were so worried," Kimberly confessed.

"Yeah, I was too," Jason told her. Then, "Zordon, I have a question-and Bro, don't take offense at this, you're a great leader-why was I replaced?"

"It is a tradition on Eltar to replace Ranger leaders after a certain period of time to-" Zordon began to say.

"Prevent burn out," Jason finished with Zordon. "That's what the other Zordon said as well," he continued. _It's good to know the reason was the same here_, he thought to himself. He frowned. "What are we going to tell my parents?"

"That you got kidnapped by Zedd and you were rescued and that the Red Ranger got hurt which is why he's not with the group. Fortunately we got to you before any damage was done to your person," Zack replied.

"Nice thinking, Zack," Tommy praised. Then, everyone except for Jason morphed and then they teleported. Meanwhile, Jess had been through various parts of Angel Grove with no success. _Dang it, Jase. Where are you?_ he wondered, running his fingers through his hair. Man, it was like he had just disappeared from Angel Grove. Then, he heard a faint noise and ran over to it. To his surprise, Jason was in the middle of the street with the Power Rangers.

"Jason?" he asked, hurrying towards them.

"Jess? What are-" Jason's question fell away as he realized what had happened. "My parents talked to Vic, who talked to you because they all thought I had run away."

"What happened?" he asked, grabbing Jason perusing the boy's body for any bruises.

"He was kidnapped by one of Zedd's monsters, but we were able to get to him before he was injured," the Pink Ranger answered.

"Thanks. Come on, let's get you home," Jess said.

"Okay," Jason agreed and the two walked off.

"Well, that was relatively easy," the Black Ranger said. Then, they went to a secluded corner, demorphed, and then teleported to the youth center. At the Scott house, Jason's parents were waiting anxiously. As soon as they heard a knock on the door, they jumped up and opened it.

"JASON!" the couple grabbed their son and pulled him close.

"Oh, we were so worried. Where were you?" his mother questioned.

"I found him with the Power Rangers. Apparently he got taken by their enemy, but they rescued him before he could get hurt," Jess told him.

"Thank you, Jesse," Christy said.

"I'll go call Vic and tell him that Jason's been found," Tony stated and then went to do so. Sensing that it was a private moment, Jess left. Christy held her son tightly.

"You scared us, son. We thought you ran away again," she stated.

"No way, Mom. I told you never again. I'm just glad the Rangers rescued me before I could get hurt," he responded. In the kitchen, Tony was on the phone explaining to Vic what had happened.

"Yeah apparently he had gotten taken by the Power Rangers' enemy. He appears to be okay, kind of shaken, but unharmed," he said. "Yeah, thank you for everything." He hung up and then rejoined his wife and son. Jason smiled, reveling in the warmth of his parents' arms.

* * *

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Jason paced around in the Command Center.

"What if something happened to them?" he wondered.

"Everything's fine, Jason. They just need to get into a secluded place before we can teleport them," Alpha said. He sighed.

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard not to worry about him…I mean, after everything I saw in that other dimension…" Jason's words trailed away. The Peace Conference couldn't have come at a better time. While he intellectually understood Zordon's reasoning for making Tommy the leader, he was still feeling hurt and betrayed, emotions that had most likely driven Jaytron to make the deal with Zedd.

"It is now time," Zordon told them. There was a whooshing sound and Rocky, Adam, and Aisha appeared in the Command Center.

"Whoa. This is amazing," Aisha breathed.

"I can't believe this is actually happening," Adam said in amazement.

"Yeah, I know," Rocky agreed. Zack came to stand in front of Adam.

"Adam, you've proven yourself to be brave, quick-thinking and selfless. I can think of no one better to wield the powers of the Mastodon," he stated, handing the coin and Morpher to the boy. Black energy flowed from Zack's hands and into Adam, strengthening the boy. Trini approached Aisha.

"Aisha, fun-loving, kindhearted, and selfless. The Saber-toothed Tiger is now under your command," she told her, doing the same. The yellow energy flowed from Trini into Aisha. Then it was Jason and Rocky's turn.

"Rocky, strong, intelligent, loyal, brave, and **definitely** fun-loving," Jason began. Everyone laughed, recalling his penchant for a good time. "You've proven to be everything I thought you'd be and more. It with honor and pride that I choose you take up the mantle of the Tyrannosaurus," Jason told him. "The power's all yours, Bro," he continued, handing him the coin and Morpher. Rocky gasped at the unexpected surge of power. Then, Jason, Trini, and Zack began to remove their communicators.

"Jason, Zack, and Trini, do not remove your communicators," Zordon instructed.

"But Zordon, how will they be able to-" Jason began to ask. Billy pulled out a chest and opened it to reveal red, yellow, and black communicators.

"I made replicas of our communicators when we all applied to the peace conference just in case any one of us got picked," he explained.

"Morphinominal," Zack approved.

"I just wish you guys didn't have to leave so soon," Aisha commented.

"Yeah, we've only known you a few weeks. It's not much time to really get to know each other," Adam agreed.

"Yeah, I know," the others except for Jason agreed. Tommy stepped away from the group as they began chattering excitedly and Jason walked over to him.

"What is it?" Jason asked softly.

"I don't want you to leave," Tommy admitted. Jason sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Bro, I promise-I'm not leaving you. You remember what I told you guys about the other reality-what happened to their Jason?" he reminded. Tommy nodded. That had been weird hearing that another version of his best friend had teamed up with Zedd and turned on the Rangers.

"Yeah."

"He most likely started out feeling hurt and betrayed, and-this isn't your fault-but I'm still feeling that way too and I need the time apart so that I can compartmentalize my feelings and deal with him without the risk of Zedd honing in on a weakness."

"Jase, you would never-"

"I'm not taking any chances of turning into that thing." Tommy nodded.

"Okay. Just know that you'll always have a home here."

"I know. Thanks." They clasped hands.

"Hey! Why so serious over there?" Zack queried.

"It's nothing, Bro," Jason told him.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! This is so exciting! Brand-new Rangers! Welcome aboard Rocky, Adam, and Aisha," Alpha stated.

"It's a whole new beginning," Kimberly commented.

"Yeah, it sure is," Tommy agreed. He put his fist out and one-by-one, the others put their hands on top of it.

"POWER RANGERS!" they all cried, jumping into the air.

THE END


End file.
